Mirage? Or Oasis?
by I'mThatAcroBat
Summary: Merlin fell against the counter in shock. It wasn't Him. It can't be. He's dead. Right? Merlin knows he has a problem. Seeing his dead best friend time to time couldn't possibly be healthy but he supposed it's better than not seeing him at all. (Ratings may change.) MODERN AU
1. Chapter 1

Mirage? Or Oasis?

Alright y'all so I obviously don't own Merlin. Or any of its characters. Cause if I did would Gwaine and Lance have their shirts on? No. Alrighty glad we cleared that one up.

Merlin was still a 25 year old young man. At least that wasn't ever a surprise. He'd been that way for centuries. Merlin was well known in his community for being the helpful, but seemingly sad neighbour that everyone adored. His expression was often that of a kicked puppy and people desperately wanted to fix him. They simply didn't know what was wrong. Now there had been times when they had seen Merlin wandering around, looking at colorful flowers and smiling to himself as if he and the flowers shared some kind of special bond. That was the Merlin they wanted to know. And that was the reason people in his community weren't so content to just let it go.

It was a Sunday evening, no different or special that any other when a neighbour spotted Merlin walking down the sidewalk towards his flat. He was white as a sheet (not something entirely abnormal for the boy, but just as concerning) and his hands appeared to be shaking. He dropped his keys as he attempted to hurriedly open his flat. He kept looking behind him and as soon as he disappeared inside, the worried neighbour ran to see what was the matter.

A man stood with his back to Merlin's flat. He had on casual clothes and flip flops, and a nice tan that appeared to cover him whole. Even before he turned around he was undeniably handsome. But what about this man had upset Merlin?

She got a closer look.

The man eventually turned and the neighbour's curiosity only peaked more. He had emerald green eyes that shone with authority, but wore an expression of kindness. As she assumed, he was extremely handsome, and appeared to know this as he swept away his almost too long locks of golden brown hair.

The woman understood why she was taken aback, but still did not know the man's connection to Merlin. Or why he had spooked the way he had.

For a brief moment she considered the possibility Merlin had a thing for men, but immediately crushed the idea for she had seen many times Merlin go on dates with young women, even if they didn't exactly work out.

Still curious - but without any form of proof that this man was somehow connected to Merlin - she returned to her own flat with questions in her head and determination in her heart.

####

Sunlight poured past the curtains and into Merlin's room. He grumbled lazily, but got up anyhow. Merlin stretched and his eyes lost focus for a moment. That's obviously the explanation for why he was suddenly on the floor, his leg aching in pain. Merlin glared at the offending object- the cat bed. He must have left it there last night when he was playing with Lance.

Sighing, he used his foot to move the bed over to the wall.

He walked to his kitchen, dragging his feet, and opened a cabinet a little too forcefully. Merlin grabbed the cat food and called out to Lance, who appeared in the doorway meowing happily.

Merlin smiled as he picked up his only real friend in centuries, and scratched the cat gently under his chin.

Merlin then put the cat down and turned towards the refrigerator, hoping and praying there was something edible in there. He wasn't disappointed. They was an apple, some yogurt, butter and some rotting left overs from two months ago. Happy he had some form of food for now, Merlin grabbed the apple and took a big bite out of it.

Lance mewled at him from the floor, already out of food. Merlin looked mischievously at Lance and dropped a tiny piece of apple. The cat unknowingly trotted over to the piece of fruit and stuck it in his mouth. Immediately he spit it out and pawed at it, letting out an unhappy sound before trying to eat it again.

Merlin laughed hard, knowing his cat wouldn't eat the fruit but not expecting him to repeatedly try to. He reached down and pet Lance on his head. The cat responded...well he responded like a cat. He grabbed hold on Merlin's hand with both front claws and bit down on the fleshy part of the forearm.

Merlin jerked his arm back, holding it to his chest and feigned being offended. Chuckling at Lance's angry meow, Merlin stood up straighter and turned around to go finish his apple.

That's when it happened.

Merlin spotted Him again.

The Man.

Merlin let out a yelp as he stumbled into the corner of the countertop, cutting his side. Letting out a hiss he attempted to get his breathing back under control. It wasn't Him. He's gone. It was just like yesterday.

Merlin doesn't know what's wrong with him. It's never been this bad before. He's seen Him several times, but never two days in a row, and never /ever/ in the same place twice. Merlin knows he has a problem. Seeing his dead best friend time to time wasn't healthy, but he supposes it's better than not seeing him at all.

Assuring himself it was just his imagination, Merlin got on his laptop and began to finish his homework for the class he's taking at the community college and tried to forget all about Him. He's dead and that's that.

####

Just a few meters away a golden haired man stood across from a flat. It wasn't his. So why was he drawn to it? So many questions were going through the young mans head. Something had been off lately. Denying the urge to knock on the door and see who was in there, Arthur Pendragon walked away.

Whoop whoop my first fic in FOUR YEARS. How crazy is that? I know. Hence why it's not amazingly written. It's choppy and I'm sure it needs editing but I wrote this at eight this morning. On Saturdays I'm usually up at ten so you can imagine how I wasn't in my right mind. Anywho I'll stop talking now. Hope y'all enjoyed. PLEASE LEAVE A REVEIW TO LET ME KNOW IF I SHOULD CONTINUE THIS PIECE. OKAY BYYYEEEE!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter **Two**

 **Alright so this one is a little weird. But I hope it's good and not too confusing. I had a tennis tournament and had to be up at four. I wrote this at five am. So bear with me. Thanks ad love y'all.**

 **-Me**

 **I OWN NOTHING**

The bartender has often served Merlin, or as he tended to call him, Kid.

Merlin walked into the bar and sat down, his head spinning wildly. He had just seen what appeared to be his dead best friend for the third time that week.

Curiously the bartender walked over, cleaning a glass, and raised his eyebrow at Merlin.

A mutual understanding passed between the two and the boy nodded his head.

The bar keep grabbed a short glass and poured into it a coke and vodka mix, Merlin's favourite.

The Kid looked up, smiled politely and drowned his drink all at once.

The bartender raised an eyebrow at that one but let it be, it was none too considerate to ask a customer's problems.

He poured another and that one went just as fast.

The bartender poured Merlin another, this time putting majority as coke with only a hint of vodka. The Kid didn't even notice the difference.

'Maybe I should call someone...' the barkeep pondered for a while. He had never heard talk of Merlin's family before. He hadn't thought it important. He thought some more before deciding that he would offer the boy a ride home himself.

It was almost closing time anyway.

The barkeep began to call out to The Kid when a man walked up.

This was a man's man. All muscles, long brown hair, and a shaggy beard.

He had seen this man a few times before, served him about four drinks a few hours ago and watched warily as he now approached Merlin.

Said boy heard footsteps approaching and looked up from his drink.

Both the bartender and the man let out a surprised yell as Merlin slipped from his seat and passed out cold on the hard, wooden floor.

—

There were voices floating around him, echoing off his brain.

Telling him to- To...to...

Then there was nothing.

—

Merlin shot up, panting and sweating worse than he had in a long time.

Must have been some nightmare.

He shook it off and stood up, feeling drained.

Looking around he froze. This wasn't his flat. This wasn't anybody's flat.

He had been lying on a small straw bed, covered only with a ratty blanket. A small square cloth was draped across it and some thin brown boots were at the foot of it.

'No no no no no no!' Merlin mentally screamed

This can't be happening. It's not real. It was never real. Not since...

Merlin shuttered. He looked in a small shattered piece of glass. His small stubble of a beard was gone and his hair dropped over his face, lacking his usual hair gel.

Frantic, Merlin ran down the all too foreign steps and into the main chambers.

Potions were scattered everywhere, some broken and others in danger of it.

Doors and cabinets were swung opened and they creaked as a small draft moved them back and forth.

On the brink of losing it, Merlin closed his eyes, and breathed.

When he opened them he looked around one more time. This time however, he took stock of his surroundings.

As his eyes traveled around the room they rested upon a table.

The nursing table.

There was a figure upon it, unmoving and covered entirely with a large cloth.

Unnerved, Merlin crept closer.

He wanted to see. He had to see. To know.

He neared the table and carefully reached his hand out but stopped before he even touched the blanket.

Merlin let his hand linger there for a moment before beginning to pull it back.

He turned away, beginning to head out the door, when a sound startled him.

It was the sound of a blanket shifting.

Merlin stiffened and closed his eyes, squeezing them shut so tightly that it hurt.

There was a breathing.

It was so near to Merlin that it shifted the small hairs on his neck.

Letting out a cry he boy whipped around to face a ghost of his past...

And the face of his mentor.

The old man's face was not his own though. It was twisted in a cruel and unblinking state that rattled Merlin to his core.

From seemingly nowhere candles flicked to life and Gaius's face was illuminated.

Merlin almost screamed at the sight of the rotting face. Sunken cheekbones were almost nonexistent and in its place were strips of torn flesh.

Hollow eye sockets seemed to bear Death itself as they stared into Merlin's horrified blue ones.

It spoke.

"Your fault."

"Your fault."

"Your fault."

It kept repeating itself, increasing in volume with every word.

Merlin stumbled back and tripped over some pieces of broken potion bottles. He fell backwards but didn't hit the ground. He was falling.

Falling and falling down a deep, dark and endless hole.

 _Your fault_.

Merlin woke up.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 **Chapter three you guys! Wrote this one at one in the morning instead of four so hopefully it's not too bad. Please like and review, it means a lot.**

 **-Me**

When two men ran into the hospital yelling for help the head nurse happened to be in the waiting room.

She raised her head at the sound before taking off towards them.

The nurse was well experienced with all sorts of injuries and problems that often came through the hospital. So when she saw an unconscious male being carried out of a truck and onto a stretcher, she knew what to do.

Barking orders at other prepared nurses and doctors, she managed to feel to make sure he was not suffering a fractured spine (a necessary procedure) and rolled him onto his side facing her.

The man began seizing and the other two men had to be held back.

Establishing that he would be okay, she knew that the best thing now was to wait. Another nurse ran up and handed her a pillow.

Nodding her thanks, she hurriedly placed it under the man's head and backed off, warning others to do the same.

The man very suddenly got still.

Everyone held their breath.

Unfortunately, the young man's chest didn't rise again.

She walked over and confirmed that he had no pulse.

"Call it!" The nurse yelled

"10:47"

Sighing, the nurse walked over and began to pull a sheet over the man's head. She thought for sure he would be okay.

She decided she'd have to have the coroner examine the body later.

The other men were silenced from shock and stood looking at the body.

The nurse turned away.

"Bring the body in"

Someone screamed and the nurse almost tripped on her own feet.

She whipped around to find the young man thrashing frantically, trying to push nurses' hands away. She ran over and ordered him to be wheeled inside immediately.

"Hold on kid..."

—

Merlin heard sounds all around him.

Colours and bright lights caused him to try and shield his eyes and his heart rate accelerated dramatically. Merlin was confused and disoriented and tried to protest the hands that seemed to hold him down.

A cold hand pressed against his cheek and Merlin unconsciously leaned into it. He was burning up.

More lights and colours sped past him and Merlin groaned softly.

There were voices. Some loud and demanding, others soft and concerned.

Smells - like soap and bleach - overwhelmed Merlin's already abused senses.

A wave of dizziness hit him hard and Merlin began to vomit. Frantic hands turned him over on his side as he continued vomiting.

Hot acid poured from his mouth in random spurts, running down his chin and chest.

Finally done Merlin laid back down, panting as if he'd just completed a marathon.

Tired and overwhelmed Merlin shut his eyes, and lost all consciousness.

 **Sorry that this one is a bit shorter and without too much plot but it's getting there I promise. Our favourite prince will soon make another appearance. Until next time,**

 **-me**


End file.
